Sleep
by JaneAlpha
Summary: Harry is happy. Until tragedy strikes.


Harry woke with a start quickly realising what the noise was that woke him. Six month old Albus Severus was screaming from his room down the hall. A quick tempus charm told him it was 5.34am. They had only moved the baby into his own room last week and Harry had struggled sleeping since; tonight though he had slept all the way through. He stretched languidly before pulling himself up shuffling out his room and the down the hall. Harry hurried a little as the screams intensified a notch.

"It's ok, little man, Daddy's here." He called out softly as he opened the door to Albus' room. The baby was red in the face with tears streaming down his face. Harry frowned Albus was usually more placid. He lifted the child into his arms patting his back to calm him. "What's got you so worked up, eh?"

Harry summoned a warm bottle of milk sitting down on the rocking chair to feed his son. It took a little while to calm him down but finally Albus took his bottle. There was shuffling down the hall and Harry listened to the footsteps approaching before a shadowed figure appeared in the doorway pausing for a moment as if taking in the sunrise.

"He was awake?" The man asked moving forward slightly so the morning light fell across his face.

"Yes." Harry replied tersely; Severus had caught him waking Albus at 2am the first night he was in his own room. Harry hadn't been able to help himself he was sick with worry. Severus had scolded him for that before pulling him into a hug and telling him he knew how hard it was for Harry. It was hard; growing up being hunted had left its mark. "You didn't hear him?"

"No." The man walked forwards stroking the baby's cheek before placing a kiss on the top of Harry's head. "I'm sorry." He whispered into the locks before moving away.

"Are you going back to bed?" He stood up placing Albus in the crook of his arm while collecting the supplies he needed to change him.

"No, I'll go and make tea." Severus started towards the door.

"Tea sounds lovely." Placing Albus on the changing table he laid out the new nappy, a fresh onesie, talc, and baby wipes, ready for his task. Then he heard it; the shout of 'Harry' from the kitchen and the thundering footsteps on the stairs. Albus was back in his arms in an instant the talc had fallen off the changing table causing a white cloud to form around his feet. Harry didn't notice with his heart was in his throat he charged out onto the landing.

"What is it?" He croaked as Severus reached the top of the stairs.

"The back door was open. Someone's been here." Harry's trained ear could hear the fear on the edges of his Husbands voice.

"Been here? How? The wards?" Harry puzzled.

"Taken down."

"Oh Merlin. Jamie." Harry breathed though Severus had already set off to the room, next to their own, before the sentence was out of Harry's mouth. Harry was hot on his heels Albus sat on his hip. The door of James' room was slammed open but Severus didn't enter. He stood stock still in the doorway. Harry felt sick.

"Let me past!" Harry cried pushing Severus into the room so he could get through the door way. Empty. The bed, the room... Empty. "James!" Harry shrieked his voice rivalling that of a banshee. He passed Albus over to Severus who took him numbly. Harry ran to the bed pulling back the covers, searching underneath the wooden slats, pulling open the wardrobe, and throwing over his James' toy box as if he would be amongst the tiny pieces of Lego; all the while Harry screamed his son's name. Fear over took him; he could feel every nerve in his body burning. He ran out the bedroom door shouting for his son again and again.

"He's gone." Severus all but whispered. Harry stopped clutching at the banister for support; his Husband stood, deathly pale, in the doorway of James' room.

"Don't say that." Harry felt his knees give way and he collapsed on the landing knowing what Severus said was true. Their son had been taken. "Don't just stand there. Do something!" Harry cried.

Something seemed to snap in Severus then and Harry suddenly had his arms full of Albus. "I'll call the Aurors. I'll call the whole bloody Wizarding world. We'll find him, Harry."

Twenty minutes later the house was teaming with Witches and Wizards. Harry sat numbly on the sofa, holding Albus, still in his pyjamas. Hermione sat next to him whispering softly and stroking his hair to try and calm him. Ron stood with the Aurors who where strategising over a map of the United Kingdom. Severus paced just behind them barking orders at them every couple of minutes and shooting down suggestions that he felt were ridiculous. Harry could hear Molly shuffling about in the kitchen making tea for everyone. Looking through the dining room Harry could see Arthur splitting up his friends and ex-Order members into the groups ready for the search to begin. Rose Weasley shuffled into the room eyes teary and fell into Hermione's arms.

"Where's Jamie?" She asked Harry innocently but he couldn't answer her.

"We're trying to find him, hunny." Hermione told her quietly she turned to Harry and whispered to him. "Let me take Albus and get him changed. It looks like they're about to move out."

Harry reluctantly let him go. "Bring him back."

Hermione stood taking Rose by her hand. "Do you not think it would be better if he stayed upstairs with Fleur and the other children?" Fleur was taking care of all the search party's volunteers' children in the playroom upstairs.

"No. I need him with me." Thankfully his friend just nodded in understanding.

It wasn't long before Severus was kneeling next to him holding his face between big hands. "I should come."

"No you must stay here and look after Albus." The Aurors had come to the conclusion that a group of rouge Death Eaters had kidnapped James to lure Harry into an ambush. It had been decided that Harry was to stay here under the protection of several Aurors. "They dosed our water supply with a Sleeping Potion. That's why we didn't wake up. Don't blame yourself."

"Please, Severus, please bring him home." Severus just kissed him before heading out into the garden and to his assigned group. His dark determined eyes never left Harry's as he apparated away with the others.

Soon Harry moved himself to the dining room table and sat facing the garden with the map in front of him. He studied it intently one of his hands on his cup of tea which he was sure contain Calming Draught the other holding Albus' hand as he slept in the bassinet next to him. One his other side was Hermione who quietly explained that the areas highlighted in red where known Death Eater sightings. There were hundreds.

By 9am the news was on the Wizarding Wireless. Harry's heart warmed a little at the sheer amount of people who turned up to help with the search. Hermione had finally left his side to organise more search groups in the front Garden. Every time he heard the crack of apparition he looked up hopefully each time greeted with a regretful shake of the head from one search party leader or another. They would put a great black cross through one of the search sites then initial another before heading to their next location.

Then at 4.46pm it happened. Severus returned home with their first born. Harry sprung to his feet when he spotted his husband at the bottom of the garden carrying their son. He ran to the patio doors and wrenched then open. He watched Severus take a shaky stepped forward then froze himself; unable to move. Still; his son was so very still. Lifeless. Severus dropped to his knees head bowed. Harry's whole body fell cold and he couldn't help but release a pain howl. "No!"

He ran towards them collapsing twice along the way final crawling the last few steps. "Jamie?" Harry pulled the boy half into his lap screaming again once he noticed his son pale face and blue lips. He looked to be sleeping, eyes closed and dark hair still wild, Harry knew better; he had seen death before. He rocked his child backwards and forwards grasping at Severus' robe all the while screaming for it "not to be true" for Jamie to "wake up". His husband stayed quiet stroking James' hair holding Harry's hands. The house was deadly silent. The search parties had been disbanded and the children taken home. Harry looked back to see Hermione standing in the doorway, holding Albus, tears streaming down her face, Ron sat on the door step hands covering his very read face, Molly stood to the side of Ron and had her face buried in Arthur's chest. Harry motioned Hermione over with Albus and he gently took the child from her once she had knelt down on the grass.

"They killed him." He told her. She didn't reply but let free a small whimper. "Why? Someone tell me why!" Harry screamed the last part causing Albus to whimper and Hermione to flinch.

"It was the sleeping potion. It was far too powerful for a three year old." Severus stopped voice breaking bringing Harry's face up to look at him. "Harry, he was gone before they took him from us. He died in his sleep last night."

Harry felt suddenly sick; sicker than he already felt anyway. Last night James had complained of a sore throat; he wasn't usually allowed a drink before bed to prevent bed wetting but Harry had given in. He had given him a cup of water. Harry Potter had fed his own child the potion that had killed him.

"Harry. Don't. Don't blame yourself." Severus pleaded.

How could he not?

**End**


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